I Was Reincarnated as the Villain in an Eroge, but I’ll Live Honestly ~Because the Protagonist Was Useless, I Ended Up Making the Heroines Smile and Somehow Built a Harem~ - 11

Chapter 11: Noah Learns About the Protagonist

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“For example, Abel-sama would drop his handkerchief near me at every possible opportunity.”

Noah and Layla listened closely to Flora’s words. At that moment, the two of them were hearing about Flora’s life while working at Abel’s mansion.

“And then, he absolutely wouldn’t pick it up himself until I tried to pick it up…”

“I see, I see.”

It certainly sounds annoying, but was it really bad enough to run away from the mansion?

There was a time when Noah had thought that way as well.

“Since I couldn’t just leave it there, when I reached out to pick it up, Abel-sama would reach out at the exact same moment.”

At that point, Layla seemed to realize what Flora was about to say and muttered.

That’s the worst…” 

Meanwhile, Noah didn’t understand and simply tilted their head.

“And then, our fingertips would inevitably touch, right? After that, Abel-sama would grab my hand and say things like, ‘Sorry about that, you really helped me. But man, your hands are really small… It makes me want to protect you.’ Don’t you think that’s super gross?!”

Perhaps recalling what happened back then, Flora grimaced and hugged her own arms.

“Ugh… That’s awful. That really is creepy…”

Even Noah couldn’t help but grimace.

“Right?! Please listen, Noah-sama. There’s more!”

“You’re kidding… there’s more?”

She must have been holding in a lot of frustration…

Like water bursting through a broken dam, Flora began pouring out her complaints.

“Since things like that kept happening, I tried to keep as much distance from Abel-sama as possible. Then he’d smile all smugly and whisper near my ear, ‘Don’t make such an anxious face. I’ll protect you,’ you know?! And on top of that, he was staring straight at my chest!”

“That must have been difficult…”

Perhaps thinking about it from the perspective of another woman, Layla placed a hand on Flora’s shoulder. She nodded repeatedly as she spoke.

“If Noah-sama did such a thing, it might be considered a reward for me, but if another man did it, it would be utterly vulgar behavior. I understand, I really do, Flora.”

“E-um…”

Maybe the way Layla agreed was unexpected, because Flora looked confused.

“Ah. Layla, you don’t need to worry about what she’s saying.”

At Noah’s words, Layla made a dissatisfied face and exclaimed, “What!?” but Noah ignored it for now. Otherwise, the conversation wouldn’t move forward.

“So, because all that creepy stuff kept happening, you ran away from Abel’s mansion?”

“No, if it had only been that, I would have endured it… My sick father and my younger brother’s livelihood depend on it.”

After pausing her words there, Flora spoke again.

“Abel-sama is currently fourteen years old, so, um… That’s the age when boys start taking an interest in women, isn’t it? When he invited his friends to the mansion, they were talking about sleeping with someone while looking at my body…”

At that point, Flora tightly clenched her hands.

“Of course, I understand that night duty is one of a maid’s jobs… But no matter what, I just couldn’t accept it… Even though I knew my family’s livelihood was at stake, I couldn’t bring myself to steel my resolve that far…”

Flora’s voice trembled, and her mouth twisted downward.

“I thought I was being selfish… I wondered why I was so spineless… I felt so pathetic…”

“No, no, that can’t be helped at all! If anything, you’re too rigid in all the wrong way! Right, Layla?”

Layla nodded strongly at Noah’s words.

“Yes, exactly as Noah-sama says. You don’t need to worry about it, Flora.”

Flora replied with a quiet “Thank you,” but her voice lacked strength. She probably hadn’t fully come to terms with it herself. She bowed her head deeply to Noah once more.

“Noah-sama, please! My household is truly in dire straits right now. I’ll work twice as hard as anyone else… No, three times as hard! So please, won’t you hire me?!”

Noah glanced at Layla, and she nodded with a gentle smile.

“Then, Flora?”

“Y-yes!”

Flora straightened her back, her expression tense.

“Would you like to work for us from now on? Well, I probably don’t even need to say this, but we don’t have night duty or anything like that here, so you can rest easy.”

“Huh?! N-no, thank you so much…!”

While Flora’s eyes shimmered with tears, Layla, in contrast, wore a shocked expression.

“Alright, it’s nice to meet you, Flora.”

“Y-yes! Noah-sama, Layla-senpai, I look forward to working with you! I’m so glad… Ehehe.”

Flora wiped the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes with her finger, wearing a completely relieved smile. Her reaction was so adorable that Noah and Layla looked at each other and smiled.

“Then, Layla. About Flora—”

“You want to have a doctor prepared, correct? Understood.”

“……How did you know?”

“I can see right through what kind Noah-sama is thinking. No. When it comes to Noah-sama, there is nothing I don’t understand!”

Layla puffed out her chest and struck a smug pose, leaving Noah only able to give an ambiguous response. And there was one person who couldn’t keep up with the exchange. Naturally, it was Flora.

“U-um, so…?”

“Hm…? Your father is sick, right, Flora?”

“Y-yes… that’s right, b-but…”

“………………?”

Noah and Flora blinked at each other and tilted their heads. Whether she found the scene heartwarming or amusing, Layla covered her mouth and laughed.

“Oh, excuse me… You two were just a bit funny. May I explain, Flora?”

Flora nodded at Layla’s words.

“Noah-sama is saying that he will introduce you to a doctor so you can work at the mansion with peace of mind. Right, Noah-sama?”

Noah nodded.

“B-but, is that really alright…? I don’t have anything I can pay with…”

“Yeah, that’s totally fine. It’s not a big burden at all. Actually, since we’re at it, should I also give you an advance on your wages this one time?”

“I-I couldn’t possibly let you go that far…!”

“But your family is struggling, right? It’s really no problem at all, so I’d be happy if you relied on me.”

“I-is it really okay…?”

Tears once again welled up at the corners of Flora’s downturned eyes.

“Of course… Well, it’s not like it’s anything grand enough to say ‘of course,’ but if you’re in trouble, I want to help. And then I want your whole family to eat their fill. You’ve worked so hard up until now, Flora. I think you deserve at least this much of a reward.”

Noah smiled gently, while Layla looked at Noah with pride. The tears pooled at the corners of Flora’s eyes spilled over.

“U-uuuh… Thank you so much, Noah-sama… With this, I can give money to my family… I won’t have to make my little brother go hungry anymore… Uwaaah…”

Unable to hold back, Flora clung tightly to Noah.

“H-hey, wait!? Flora?!”

“Noah-sama, I’ll work as hard as I possibly can for you~…!”

A sweet, distinctly feminine scent made Noah’s heart pound violently. On top of that, though it wasn’t obvious from her appearance, Flora seemed to be the type who looked slimmer in clothes. Feeling Flora’s soft body pressed against them, Noah’s face grew even redder.

“O-okay, okay…! I understand, so… If you could let go soon…”

Noah lightly tapped Flora’s back, but she didn’t let go easily.

“Just a little longer… Please, just a little longer~! I was worried the whole time. What if I didn’t get hired, what if you turned out to be like the rumors said… I’m so glad you turned out to be such a kind person… Ehehe.”

Flora did pull her body away slightly, but her arms were still wrapped around Noah’s neck. At such close range, Flora smiled softly. Noah, their face bright red, couldn’t bring themself to look at her directly.

“U-um… Could you maybe… Let go now…”

“Huh? Oh, I’m terribly sorry… I often do this with my younger brother, so the motion just came naturally.”

So that’s why! Come to think of it, even in the game it said she had a brother complex. Still, if this kept up, her little brother’s preferences would definitely get warped… Is he really okay?

Remembering Layla’s excessive physical affection, Noah couldn’t help but be worried about her little brother’s future. Well, this wasn’t his problem anyway. At last, Flora stepped back from Noah. Noah let out a relieved sigh.

Phew… Now I can finally calm down… Huh?

Only then did Noah notice something strange.

It’s oddly quiet… It feels like Layla hasn’t said anything…

Normally, if another woman got close to Noah, Layla would chase her away with a dark smile. Noah hurriedly turned toward Layla. And then…

“F-Flora! Please get away from Noah-sama~!”

Layla, on the verge of tears, started lightly punching Flora.

“U-uuuh… Noah-sama is mine…! Flora, you’re fired!”

Like a child throwing a tantrum, Layla pouted and complained.

“E-ehhh?! I’m fired?! N-no, Noah-sama~!”

“No, no, that’s not it! I’m not firing you!”

Noah responded in a panic. However…

“Noah-sama, who is more important to you, me or Flora?!”

“How did it come to that?!”

“U-uuuh… You can’t answer… I knew it… I’m just…”

Seeing Layla slump with a sad expression, Noah’s head felt like it was about to explode. As Noah flailed in confusion, one of the maids arrived.

“Um, Head Maid… It’s about time to head back—wait, what’s going on here?!”

Thanks to the maid stepping in to mediate, the situation was finally brought under control.

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